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By
Jhon Minggus Keiya
“Dear brother, thank you for the brochure you’ve sent”
I am beginning this journey from the village “Widopa”. My village was farther from the city of regency and from the central city of Papua Tengah Province. One day in February (sorry I didn’t remember the date and day). I went out from my house at about 5:25 pm to charge my phone in my neighbor’s house because he has solar energy with the biggest capacity. We have it in our house too, but not enough and it can’t be used for charging a phone. He accepted my phone call and told me that “Tomorrow morning you might take your phone”. By the way, in my village we still use solar energy for each house there.
The next day I woke up at 7 am then I went out to take my phone. After that at about 10:45 am I hiked a mountain near my house that we usually call “UGI DIMI”. I hiked that mountain because I sought an area with a data network for internet. You know, my village didn’t have data network or WI-FI so we must use the traditional way. If we need to talk with another guy, we must visit his/her home. Finally, at about 12:10 pm I was on the top of that mountain. I got tired so I a rest for a few minutes under a big wood that was there, while looking at the nature around my village.
I was holding my phone while sitting on the top of the beautiful mountain on my village and seeing a wonderful view of Paniai Lake. You will be satisfied by the beauty of that village because it’s still green, what’s more, when you see Paniai Lake from that mountain, the wind gives you better air, and you can take a deep breath. Lastly, you will have a feeling like, I don’t want to go home.
***
By the way, suddenly my phone beeped. I opened it, it was actually a message through WhatsApp from someone I had known when I was in college. His name was Kanoah, he was a good guy, humorous, and smart. He sent me a brochure without saying anything. Carefully, I read the beautiful brochure.
I responded to his chat “Dear bro, thank you for the brochure you have sent, could I ask for the link too?”
Shortly, “Here it is, brother!” he said under the link.
“Amanai (Thank you)” I responded gratefully. Amanai means one expression we MEE tribe use to express our happiness cause we accept good information, things, interesting talk, and before parting with each other.
***
So, the link and brochure that was sent by Kanoah was about the program created by Papua Tengah Province through Education and Culture Department. It is called the Intensive English Program (IEP) Papua Tengah Province.
After a short time, he sent another chat “You should try, Wauwa (Brother)!” he sounded serious. Wauwa means big brother.
I replied confidently, “Yes I will try for this one brother.”
“Right Bro.” He replied shortly.
Happily I texted back “Thanks for the information you have found and shared with me”.
“Alright brother, but for six month you’ll be studying in Bali for the IELTS test to apply for the Australia Awards and LPDP scholarship”. He replied with the information that he knew about this program.
“Ok, Little Brother, I will follow the process from beginning until to the end” I responded to the information he sent.
Lastly he texted back, “Great, God’s plan is always good in time”
***
The time showed 6:20 pm, and cloudy sky was showing, that meant I must go back home. With feelings of happiness I came back to my house, a simple house built in a traditional way, closed by thatched roof. Smiling and feeling excited, I thought to myself, “My dream will come true to continue magister program abroad”.
After I arrived home I couldn’t sleep well, hence I decided to go out early morning at 6:00 am to the city center to do registration and administration. In my village, the speed boat driver usually leaves and goes to the city about that time. In my village we only have one access to get to the city, and that was by crossing the lake on a speed boat. There is land road but it’s too dangerous, because some spots on the road are damaged, steep and too dangerous. So, the community prefers to go by lake transportation.
I bought some coffee with sugar, after that I made one thermos and all night long, I didn’t sleep until morning. Why? Because in my mind, “if I sleep, I will wake up late”. “I can’t wake up late”. So, I decided that night I wouldn’t sleep. The sun has risen, which means I must prepare myself to go to the city by speed boat, crossing the Paniai lake albeit the atmosphere of my village at around 3-6 am was cold and windy, which pierced the heart, but that has become our habit, so it’s ok. In the brochure, there are 2 types of tests I have to pass: first, administration test; second, placement test.
At about 6:50 am I arrived in the city, 5 minutes on the speed boat to get to Enarotali, the city center of Paniai Regency. After that I travelled by motorcycle from the harbor to the middle of the town. I looked for war-net nearby to do the registration. Without long, I found one war-net located in the middle of the city and I went inside to do the registration process. It took a few minutes to do the registration, and finally it was all finished. That means I had to go back to my house by speed boat again. But I did not forget to fill my credits with Rp. 120,000. I then travelled by motorcycle to get to the harbor.
I usually feel afraid on the boat, hence we should prepare our bravery to ride out the waves. At about 1-4 pm, waves will emerge and the speed boat driver will still take passengers even though the lake is angry. You can imagine only a speed boat without protection while fighting big waves. But don’t worry, all speed-boat drivers are professionals, they can see and read the direction of the wind, and also how to avoid the waves, even though there were some cases of boats sinking.
***
I waited a long time for the information, but on 26th February 2024, I got a message through e-mail saying “Greet! you have “passed” the IEP-PPT administrative selection. Next, you will take a selection of placement test (standard English language proficiency test: multiple choice and answering essay questions). I passed the administration and waited for the next process that was the placement test.
After I read this e-mail, I opened my mouth and said loudly “YES! thank you God, thank you nature of Widopa, thank you nature of Papua” I was happy at that moment, but I realized that this was just the first step. There is another serious step I haven’t done yet, that was placement test. I joined the WhatsApp group that was sent through e-mail, I clicked it and I became a member of the group for placement test.
There was also a message from the government sent through the WhatsApp group about the placement test. They said “The placement test will be divided into 2 sessions: online and offline. Whoever wants to follow the test offline can attend in SMA YPPK Adhi luhur Nabire. For the online test, it would be take place on 29th February 2024”. Finally, on 29th February 2024, I followed the placement test online from Paniai.
On 5th March 2024, I received another e-mail that said “Great! you have “passed” as a participant of IEP-PPT”. I succeeded in becoming one of the participants to join the Intensive English Program for Papua Tengah Province in Bali (Island of the Gods).
Continuous…
